The Perfect Pet
by madelinesticks
Summary: Sam's wanted an angel for years. He's positive getting Gabriel will be the right decision. HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

God, but Sam loved angels. Fuck, they were just amazing. Some people were cat people, some people liked dogs, but fucking Hell, angels were definitely for him. They were so vibrant and full of life, and damn, did they have personalities.  
Castiel was Dean's angel. Sam was saving up to afford one – the initial costs were pretty damn steep – but for now he contented himself with playing with Castiel. The angel nuzzled against Sam's neck, purring loudly with his little wings beating in fast little strikes.  
Sam laughed a little, stroking a hand through his hair. Castiel was young for now, only at the equivalent of a ten year old human. They grew a lot faster, of course: Castiel was only two years old. Castiel pressed eagerly into the hand, butting against Sam's skin. He was such a pretty thing – he smiled and laughed a lot, and he squirmed adorably when he was tickled, and he loved to be fed treats and petted.  
Castiel was definitely one for settling in laps.  
Angels had been a designer pet from around fifty years ago. They had been tamed fairly easily, so Sam had discovered as he read about them. Some angels weren't as suited to being pets as others, but that was the same as all manner of pets.  
They were very similar to humans – most grew to be at least four foot tall, and their average was around five foot two, which wasn't too far off humans. Of course, there were differences. For instance, the pretty wings that graced their backs in all manner of colours – generally reds, blacks, whites and golds – and the Grace they held. It was innately calming, and Sam found it intoxicating.  
It made him feel warm, protected, and they were so damn cuddly. Dean called him a pussy about it, but he was the one that had bought the clingiest angel in The Garrison – a store that sold angels in their area.  
"Castiel!" The angel threw himself off Sam's lap, scrambling across the floor in a desperately eager-to-please run to reach his master. He threw himself into Dean's arms, clinging to him and nuzzling against his neck and his chest, fisting little hands in his shirt.  
Sam grinned a little as he watched Castiel beat his wings happily, and heard the delighted way Dean laughed. "That's my pretty boy." Dean praised, pressing a quick kiss to Castiel's forehead. "How d'ya feel about stealin' my angel on Wednesday too, Sammy?" Sam babysat Castiel on one or two weekdays a week, so that Dean could go out of town and Castiel didn't have to wait in the car.  
"It's not stealing, Dean." Sam said lightly.  
"Pssh. You want him even more than I do. Ow!" Dean laughed hard, rubbing the little red mark on his neck. Castiel gave a cherubic little giggle, hiding his face. "Did you just bite me, you little bitch?" Castiel chortled once again.  
"He doesn't like you saying stuff like that, Dean. He's loyal." Sam said, standing and slinging his bag over his shoulder. The park was warm today, but Castiel didn't really get the full enjoyment out of it. He didn't like to play with other angels much, and was too easily intimidated. Most of them had much wider wingspans, even the other fledglings. Castiel liked humans much more than he did other angels.  
Sam wasn't sure whether he'd prefer a social angel or not. He thought about it on his walk home, considering it as he bit into an apple. Sam worked as a lawyer, but his firm allowed angels within the building.  
He'd worked out his logistics long before he'd started seriously considering buying himself an angel of his own.  
It was only a few weeks later that he had enough money to buy himself an angel. And he walked with a skip to his step, a laugh falling too easily from his lips. The Garrison was quiet that day, as most of the angels had gone quiet to lie on the floor and sun themselves in the summer warmth.  
One chittered loudly as soon as he saw Sam, jumping around his cage and rapidly fluttering golden wings in pretty shades. Their sheen was so different to Castiel's black, and so much bigger. They seemed to dwarf his little body, so much larger than was really appropriate.  
He had a mess of light brown hair too, and beautiful hazel eyes that seemed to shine in the light.  
"Human!" He yelped excitedly, dashing back and forth and back and forth in his cage. The other angels looked up lazily, glancing at the pretty little thing. Some of them laughed, while others shook their heads.  
They were more like humans than most people realised. Of course, they didn't tend to grasp language as well. They could take orders and repeat basic words, and some could even hold conversations, but those angels were rare. Most angels loudly repeated only a few words. "Candy", "Walk" and "Cuddle" were common ones.  
Sam had never heard Castiel talk, but Dean swore blind that he didn't stop chattering when they were alone together. Sam sort of understood that. Castiel had been rescued, and had been put up for sale to his first owner too young. He'd latched onto Dean and was completely loyal to him, even if he liked Sam.  
"Human human human!" Sam chuckled, moving to kneel next to the cage and smile at the angel within.  
"That's right, little guy. I'm a human."  
"Buy me!" The angel demanded. Sam blinked, taken aback.  
"Gabriel!" came a sudden hiss from the store owner. She was a harried looking woman, her hair a mess that was roughly tied up above her head. "Don't be so rude to customers!" Gabriel fell back on his ass, tilting his head and widening his eyes. He looked as innocent as anything.  
"Wow, he's smart." Sam commented quietly, looking up to her.  
"Oh, he's smart. He learned "buy me" after his first owner brought him back. He's smart, sure, but that's not usually what one wants in an angel. At the very least, he keeps the store animated when the rest of them are asleep."  
"I want him." Sam said.  
"Yes!" Gabriel yelled, dancing across the floor of his cage and stumbling, tripping over his own feet and throwing himself against the wall of it in the process. He gave a pained whine, pouting to himself.  
"Oh, you're a cute one."  
"Yes." Gabriel agreed. "Yes yes yes."  
"He likes that word." The store owner said, looking at Sam carefully. "Are you sure? It's not fair to tease the angels about buying them if you don't-"  
"No, no, I do! I've wanted an angel for years." Sam said. "And I think Gabriel is perfect for me."  
She smiled slightly, seeming to sense the honesty in Sam's words. "Well then, I think you should come with me and we should discuss Gabriel's temperament. I'm- well. He's... A character."  
"Yes yes yes!" Gabriel said delightedly.  
"He likes it, he just doesn't quite know what it means." She added. Sam laughed a little. "Come right on in." She said warmly.  
Sam grinned, and glanced back to Gabriel. Yes, this was the right decision. With that, he followed after her. This was going to be perfect.


	2. Chapter 2

Sam couldn't stop grinning as he watched Gabriel settle on the shop floor, out of his cage. It was a month since he'd first come in with the intention of buying the excitable creature, and he'd just signed the final bit of paperwork.  
For obvious reasons, angel stores did extensive background checks on those who wished to buy an angel. And Sam's apartment was spacious, there was no way Gabriel could escape from windows or anything like that, obviously Sam was well-equipped to take care of him.  
"You ready to go, buddy?" Sam asked, looking to the angel.  
"Go go go!" Gabriel yelled. Sam beamed, taking a step forwards and carefully clicking Gabriel's leash into place on the collar that remained at his neck.  
"Thank you." He said, grinning brightly at the woman now settled comfortably behind the counter. "C'mon, Gabriel. Time to get to your new home."  
"Home." Gabriel said, but it wasn't loud as his other words had been. It was happy, contented. As he said it he pressed his cheek against Sam's hip. He only came up to Sam's hip now, but was meant to grow to be around the height of his chest. As it stood, he was around a year and a half old.  
He walked the angel home, delighted at the way he danced and bounced around on the sidewalk. He only tried to pull on the lead once or twice, and quickly figured out it hurt to do so. "Here, boy. Inside." Gabriel went silent when they were in the lift, his eyes wide as he listened to the sounds of the elevator around him.  
One of his little hands moved to grab at Sam's trouser leg when a clank came from higher in the shaft, and he jolted a little with a short yelp. "It's just the elevator shaft. Don't worry." Sam murmured, petting through Gabriel's hair.  
Gabriel loved that. He pressed eagerly into the hand just like Castiel did to Dean's, but bounced on his feet and boisterously rubbed his face against the skin. Sam chuckled, experimentally scratching at the scalp. Castiel didn't like that – he liked the softest touches possible – but a loud, surprisingly deep purr rumbled from Gabriel's chest.  
Sam lead him into their apartment, and unclipped the lead. With that, Gabriel dashed forwards into the apartment, sniffing at the air with his wings quivering and fluttering behind him. Sam followed him without speaking as he walked around the apartment, watching him climb over the furniture and look around in his curiosity.  
Gabriel nuzzled against the sofa and the chairs in the living room, taking in the scent of Sam still clinging to the fabric. He tried to get on top of the fridge, but his wings couldn't quite lift him high enough. Sam didn't stop him from doing anything at all. Gabriel was careful and surprisingly graceful despite the way he dashed around, and didn't knock anything over.  
It was only when he tried to go into the bedroom that Sam stopped him. "No." He said firmly. Gabriel looked back at him, wide-eyed and perplexed. "That's my room. You're not allowed in there." He pulled the door shut to illustrate the point, and Gabriel blinked, looking between the closed door and Sam.  
He moved to reach for the door handle, but Sam hissed a scolding "No!" again. Gabriel froze.  
"Hmph." The angel huffed, skittering into the living room. He moved to throw himself onto the couch and sprawl across it, his wings spread wide to indicate trust – Sam had spent a lot of time reading up on their body language.  
Sam moved to settle on the chair next to it, and Gabriel immediately scrambled across to settle in his lap and nuzzle against his chest. He rubbed his face all over the skin he could reach, his cheeks pressed solidly to Sam's flesh.  
"What a pretty boy." Sam praised, scratching at Gabriel's back, in the centre between the splay of his wings. Gabriel gave happy mewls and sounds, fidgeting and giggling as he pressed for more.  
"Pretty." Gabriel agreed, his wings trembling behind him. "Want pet."  
"You want to be petted, huh?" Sam began to stroke through his hair, scratching at the scalp there. Gabriel was delighted at the new attention, eager and pressing into it. Sam petted him and showered him with attention for a good half an hour, but by that time Gabriel had exhausted himself with his excited movements.  
He'd gone quiet and slumped forwards, face pressed against Sam's shoulder. He'd fallen asleep, his wings carefully folding behind his back in an unconscious movement. Sam grinned, comfortable where he was settled.  
Sam let his own head fall back, and he considered carrying Gabriel to the couch and setting him down. He didn't do that. Instead, he closed his own eyes. A nap before dinner wouldn't be so bad.


	3. Chapter 3

Sam woke with a few sleepy blinks, shifting in the chair. He gave a small hiss of pain as moved his neck, the muscle stiff where he'd fallen asleep. "Igh." He rolled his neck around, trying to relieve some of the discomfort. He winced a little, stretching out the flesh and chewing on his lip. He shouldn't have gone to sleep there, why did he even consider…?  
Sam blinked wildly, jumping out of the chair. He looked around desperately, scanning the room. "Gabriel!?" He stood, moving into the kitchen and glancing around once again. He ran down the corridor, glancing into the bathroom. Then, he noticed that the bedroom door was slightly ajar. He pushed it open and stared within.  
Gabriel blinked sleepily. His wings had been curled around his body, mostly hiding his lightly clothed form, but now he unfurled them and gave a questioning chitter of sound as he looked at Sam. "You bad boy!" Sam scolded. "You're not meant to be in here!"  
Gabriel pressed his face against the bed sheets, as if to say he didn't really care. "Come here." Gabriel reluctantly crawled from the bed, where he'd apparently been half ensconced in the thick sheets Sam had to favour for the sake of not feeling the cold. He fell onto the floor with a pathetic twitch on pretty golden feathers, dragging himself across the carpet on his stomach as if it were too much effort to stand.  
"Gabriel." Sam said, resisting the urge to giggle at the ridiculous way the angel moved. "Is it really so hard to get up?"  
"Sleepy."  
"You can sleep, then. Just not in here." Gabriel pouted, flapping his wings rapidly enough to propel him a little off the ground and onto his feet. Sam laughed a little, unable to hold the amused sound back. Sam caught him as he made his way down, holding him tight and close in his arms. "Good boy." He pulled the door closed shut once again as he carried Gabriel into the living room, dropping him on the couch. From a box he'd bought specially, he pulled out a thick, fur-lined blanket and offered it to the angel.  
Gabriel took it eagerly, wrapping himself in the white fabric as tightly as he could manage and covering himself entirely. He was curled into a tight ball, now, and after a few minutes of watching him with a mix of bemusement and affection, he heard a few quiet snores begin to come from the ball of white and gold.  
He shook his head, turning on his feel and moving a little away. He moved into the kitchen and began to take ingredients from the fridge. A stir-fry would be nice. He swiftly began to dice pepper and onion, setting chicken breast aside. Soon enough, he was nearly finished, and began to spoon the meal onto plates. One for him, and a slightly smaller one for Gabriel.  
Angels hate much the same as humans did, though as a whole they preferred sweeter foods and anything too rich would cause them to a little ill. He turned, and he noted the way Gabriel was now perched on the very edge of the couch, hands braced on the arm between his feet as he tilted his head to stare at his new master.  
"Yum?" He said, the tone sounding questioning. Sam couldn't help but chuckle.  
"Yeah, Gabriel, it's food." He brought the plates in, settling on the chair and offering Gabriel his own plate. The angel took the plate with a happy chitter of gibberish, staring at it. Then, he looked to Sam. For a few moments, Sam concentrated on his own food, picking up pieces with his force and chewing them carefully. Then, he noticed that Gabriel was still staring. He hadn't touched his own food.  
He pointed at Sam's plate. "Need."  
"Gabriel, you have your own food."  
"No." Gabriel said firmly, an almost whining tone to his voice. "Need."  
"Need what?" Gabriel pointed again, and Sam followed his gaze. "A fork?" Gabriel just stared at him. But when he held the fork out and offered it to the angel, Gabriel snatched it and immediately began to eat, swiftly taking large mouthfuls of food. Sam shook his head, moving into the kitchen to grab another fork for himself.  
Castiel just ate with his hands, and it had never said in any of the books that angels liked to use cutlery, or even that there was any point in teaching them to. When Sam settled back in the chair, Gabriel's plate was clean, and he began to eye Sam's with an interest. "This is mine. If you eat to much you'll get fat."  
Gabriel gave a huff. "Fat." He repeated scornfully. Sam had to hold back a giggle. He'd probably been given that reason to be stopped from eating before.  
"Yes, Gabriel. Fat." The angel set his plate aside onto the coffee table, moving to cross his arms and make a face as if to sulk. Sam just shook his head in amusement as he finished his own meal.


	4. Chapter 4

Sam moved to his own bed after a while of being settled on the couch. When he stood, Gabriel followed after him, though he stopped short outside the man's bedroom door. "Good boy." Sam praised quietly, pleased with the angel's obedience at not entering the room. "Night night." He pulled the door closed.

Sam stripped off his clothes and carefully moved into his bed, pulling the sheets around himself. He settled, head on the pillow. He took a little time – he always did – but within a few minutes he was drifting off, very nearly falling into a heavy sleep.

Then he heard the yowl from outside the door. Sam jolted in bed, wide-eyed as he sat up. Gabriel was giving a loud, drawn-out caterwaul from outside the door. After a few moments' worth of listening, he made out the word Gabriel was yelling. "Alone".

Sam got out of bed and pulled the bedroom door open. The sound shut off suddenly, and Gabriel looked up at his master with his mouth still wide open. "Alone." He repeated mournfully, this time in a much quieter voice.

"Gabriel, it's okay. I'm right on the other side of this door, okay? You're not alone." He shut the door again and went back to bed. For a fair time, Gabriel was quiet, and Sam smiled to himself as he slipped off to sleep.

The angel was a good boy, really.

When Sam woke, it was warm and comfortable, curled against the body alongside him, face buried in sweet-smelling hair. He gave a soft hum, pulling the body closer. "Warm." A voice said softly against his chest, and Sam hummed in agreement.

Then he realised who the body was.

"_Gabriel!" _

"Mmm?" The angel offered the sweetest of little smiles, remaining curled right against the warmth that Sam's body offered.

"You're not meant to be in here." Sam tried to sound firm, but he knew it sounded weak in places.

"Warm." Gabriel said again. "Don't wanna." Sam stroked through Gabriel's hair, amused at the way the pet pressed into it.

"Okay, I guess you can share the bed if you won't stay outside." Sam allowed grudgingly. Sam thought he heard the angel giggle.


	5. Chapter 5

"Gabriel, if I don't walk you you'll get fat."  
"Fat." Gabriel repeated mournfully. Sam found it funny, how that word seemed to revolve around every threat Gabriel had ever been given and more so, how whiney he was about it.  
"C'mon, buddy, you're gonna meet Cas today. He's an angel, like you." Sam said lightly.  
"Hmph." Gabriel huffed in annoyance, slowing his pace even further. He lagged behind Sam a little, the lead at his neck almost taut.  
"He's really nice." Sam said, trying to bring up a coaxing tone to encourage a little speed. It didn't work. In fairness, Sam wasn't certain Castiel would really be Gabriel's type. Gabriel was loud and boisterous, whereas Castiel ran like hell away from angels that wanted to play. Castiel was a lapcat – he liked to sit still and purr and be petted.  
Gabriel, much as he didn't like to walk, liked to run and jump and yell and play. Gabriel was excitable. So far, Sam wasn't so sure Castiel would really like that. He let Gabriel off the lead once they entered the park, but Gabriel didn't dash off like he usually did. Instead, he stayed close to Sam, though a few metres away from him.  
"Sammy!" Dean called, offering his brother a bright grin and a wave. Castiel was pressed right against his leg as they walked together, one hand securely gripping Dean's shirt where it hugged his hip.  
"Cassie!" Gabriel yelled, taking a few half-stumbled steps forward at a run. He stopped abruptly when he noted the larger angel's wide-eyed, intimidated stare, and the way he grabbed at his own master all the harder.  
"Cas or Castiel." Sam corrected gently. "He's not a girl, Gabriel."  
"Meh!" Gabriel retorted. He dropped back on his ass on the floor, looking up at Castiel from the new position. Sam tilted his head, staring at the angel. What the Hell was he doing?"  
"Come!" Gabriel demanded, slapping his palm down on the grass as he met Castiel's eyes. Sam noticed now that Dean had bought his angel a new coat, one that was tan. As Castiel cautiously made his way closer to Gabriel, he raised his eyebrows at his brother.  
"A trenchcoat? Seriously?" He asked, tone teasing. Dean laughed a little, falling back onto the bench nearest to their angels and gently punching Sam on the arm when he sat down alongside.  
"Shut up, Sammy, he looks cool!" Dean insisted.  
"He looks anything but, man." Dean made a huff of sound, and Sam laughed loudly. He'd thought it'd sounded a little familiar as Gabriel had done it time after time.  
"Gabriel does that." He said lightly. "Huffs and hmphs when he's annoyed." Dean snorted.  
"I wouldn't be surprised if one of these days Cas didn't whip out a typewriter and give me a letter of complaint." Sam laughed at that. Both of the angels looked away from each other, staring at their masters.  
"We're talkin' about you, not to you." Dean said lightly, and Castiel gave a disapproving hum. It belonged on a librarian, and damn, Sam could see him with the typewriter now.  
Gabriel and Castiel were... Surprisingly good together. Gabriel toned himself down a Hell of a lot, being calm and leading Castiel into chaos with as much care as he could manage. He even got Castiel to chase him around the park, though once Gabriel fled up the trunk of a tree Castiel declared his defeat and lay on the floor, facedown, until Gabriel came back down.  
So yeah, this would be good. And thank fuck, it meant Sam could still take care of Cas when Dean needed it.


	6. Chapter 6

Gabriel was sleeping. Man, did Sam like to watch Gabriel sleep. It was weird, he supposed, given how damn human the angel looked, but he was so sweet. He slept with his head against the pillow, pressed in against the cushioning, his mouth slightly open, his hair messy and strewn around his head. His eyes were never tightly closed, but he always fisted one of his hands in either the sheet or the pillow, and pulled the covers right around him so no breeze or draught could make him cold.  
It was freakin' adorable. But, all the same… "Gabriel." Sam said quietly. It made no difference: the pet stayed fast asleep. "Gabriel." Sam said, this time firmer. One eye opened, and then closed shut immediately. Putting on a show, Gabriel gave a little wiggle in the bed and a fake snore. "Oh, no you don't."  
Gabriel gave a loud yelp when Sam scooped him up, still wrapped in the white covers from the bed, and childishly wriggled and fidgeted, despite the giggles he was giving. "I've never met an angel who liked to be carried about so much." Gabriel just gave a loud "whoop" in response.  
After a few more moments, Gabriel settled, pressing his face against the other's neck and taking in audible, deep breaths. "Are you sniffing me?"  
"Smell good." Gabriel murmured, the sound serving to tickle the skin of Sam's neck. Sam snorted.  
"Do I?"  
"Mmm." Gabriel licked the skin and Sam nearly dropped him as he gave another, raucous cheer of loud laughter. "Haha!" He said triumphantly.  
"Ugh, Gabriel, that's gross." Gabriel just continued to laugh before going quiet again. Sam brought him into the living room, settling down on the sofa with the angel laying across his lap. Gabriel shifted, sitting up and moulding his body against Sam's. Soon enough, he was asleep again, and Sam couldn't help but enjoy the warmth and the calming feature of the angel's regular purrs of breath.  
He leaned, cradling the angel, and grabbed the phone. He was getting a lot heavier. Hmph.


End file.
